Self-lubricating trolley-wheel.



PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908.

Jiirazn Gj'arl H. G. FARR. H SELF LUBRIOATING TROLLEY WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.24. 1906.

I being on line 22 on Fig. 1.

HIRAM G. FARR, OF MELROSE HIGHLANDS, MASSACHUSETTS.

SELF-LUBRICATING TROLLEY-WI-IEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1908.

Application filed December 24, 1906. Serial No. 349,250.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM G. FARR, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Melrose Highlands, in the county of Middlesexand State of Massachusetts, have invented. certain new and usefulImprovements in Self-Lubricating Trolley- Wheels, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to self-lubricating bearings for trolley wheelsand has for its object the production of a wheel provided with a centralchamber wholly filled with an absorbent pad adapted to receive andretain therein a quantity of lubricant, said pad extending to the innerwall of said trolley wheel and being adapted to cooperate with anotherabsorbent pad extending diametrically through the wheel bushing andcontacting with the shaft upon which said wheel revolves. By such aconstruction the lubricant contained within the absorbent pad in thecham ber of the wheel gradually passes through the pad in the bushing tolubricate the bearing surfaces of said pin or shaft and bushing and isprevented from passing too freely to the bearing surfaces.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction andarrangement of parts which will be readily understood by reference tothe description of the drawings and to the claims hereinafter given.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 represents a section of a trolley wheelembodying the features of this invention, the wheel being shown appliedto the usual harp and supporting shaft. Fig. 2 represents a transversesection of said wheel the cutting plane Fig. 3 represents a perspectivesectional view of the wheel bushing. Fig. 4 represents a transversesection through the same, and Figs. 5 and 6 represent sections of amodified form of bushing.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figuresof the drawings.

In the drawings, 10 represents the harp of ordinary form having mountedin its forked ends 11 a shaft or pin 12 prevented from rotating thereinin any well-known manner. Between the forked ends 11 of the harp 10 is arevoluble bushing 13 the outer diameter of which nicely fits the bore ofthe trolley wheel 14 into which it is driven to cause the wheel andbushing to revolve together The wheel 14 is provided with an internalchamber 15 with which communicates a passage 16 provided witha threadedplug 17 which may be removed for the insertion of the lubricant intosaid chamber 15.

Within the chamber 15 is mounted an absorbent pad 18 of felt or similarmaterial the ends of which arecut off diagonally as indicated at 19 andoverlap one another. The interior wall of said pad 18 before theinsertion of the bushing extends slightly beyond the interior wall ofthe wheel 14 and is forced outwardly by the insertion of the bushing 13to insure its close contact at all times with the periphery of saidbushing.

The bushing 13 is provided with diametral 0 enings 21 extending throughthe same, tiese openings communicating with depressions 22 and 23respectively upon the inner and outer walls of said bushing. The twosets of openings and depressions are diametrically opposed to oneanother as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and in each ofthe depressions22 is inserted an absorbent strip or wick 24 of felt or other material,the ends of which pass through the openings 21 through the bushing andare extended into the depression 23 where the ends abut one another.Before the insertion of the bushing into the bore of the trolley wheelthe absorbent strip or pad 24 extends slightly beyond the periphery ofthe bushing 13 so that when said bushing is inserted in position theouter surface of the pad 24 will be insured positive contact with theinner face of the absorbent pad 18.

When the absorbent pad 18 is thoroughly saturated with the lubricantwith which it is desired to lubricate the bearing contained therein saidlubricant will be drawn by the heat generated in the revolution of thetrol ley wheel upon said pin 12 through the absorbent strip or pad 24where it will be transferred to the bearing surfaces of said pin andbushing.

By such a construction as this the lubricating grease or oil with whichthe absorbent pad is saturated is prevented from being wasted by feedingto the bearing surfaces too rapidly, while at the same time a sufficientquantity of the grease or oil or other lubricant with which the pad issaturated will be drawn through the absorbent strip 24 to provide enoughlubricant to cause the proper operation of said wheel. mThe bushing 13is of less length than the space between the inner faces of the forkedarms 11 of the harp 10 so that the wh eel is permitted to have an endmovement upon the journal or shaft 12 thus allowing the trolley to morereadily follow the trolley wire and prevent it from jumping therefrom.This movement will cause the absorbent pad 24 to move along the journalor shaft 12 and transfer the lubricant lengthwise thereof. As will beseen by this construction the interior bore of the bushing has aconvenient bearing surface upon the journal or shaft 12 while at thesame time the strip of absorbent material feeding the lubricant theretois so embedded in the depressions 22 on the interior face of the bushing13 that a considerable extent of surface of said pad is at all timesbearing upon the bearing surfaces of the shaft or journal .12 thusinsuring that a sufficient quantity of lubricant will always betransferred to said surfaces.

Figs. 5 and 6 represent-modrfiediorms of the bushing in which theabsorbent pads extendthrough the diametral slots 26 but do not extendinto any depressions 22 and 23 as in the preferred form, the area of theouter and inner surfaces of said pads 25 being sufficient to transfersufficient lubricant through the same to the bearing surfaces.

It is believed that from the foregoing the operation of the inventionand its advantages will be fully apparent.

In a self-lubricating bearing for trolley wheels, the combination of atrolley wheel having a central bore extending therethrough 'andprovidedwith a lubricating chamber communicating with said bore; a bushingadapted to be driven into and fitting said bore and rovided with radialopenings therethroug connecting with a circumferential depression in itsperiphery; and percolating membersin said openings and depressionadapted to contact with the supporting pin.

3. In a self-lubricating bearing for trolley wheels, the combination ofa trolley wheel provided with a lubricating chamber communicating withits bore; a bushing fitting said bore and provided with radial openingstherethrough connecting with a depression in its inner wall; andabsorbent members in said openings and depression adapted to contactwith the supporting pin.

4. In a self-lubricating bearing for trolley wheels, the combination ofa trolley wheel having a central bore therethrough and provided with anannular chamber communicating therewith; a bushing fitting said bore andwholly confined thereln provided with radial openin s extendingtherethrough and a peripheral epression communicating With andconnecting two of said openings; a felt pad in said annular rooveextending to the walls of said central ore; and a strip of percolatingmaterial extending through each of said 0 enings and resting in saiddepressions wit its outer face corresponding to the periphery of saidbushing.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this 19th day of December, 1906.

HIRAM e. FARR.

Witnesses:

WALTER E. LOM BARD, EDNA O. CLEVELAND.

